Set out below is my contribution to the debate, organized by the Forum for American/Chinese exchange at Stanford, at Peking University in 19 November 2009 in China-EU-US trilateral relations.  We have been asked to address six questions: But first, some broad remarks: I can’t resist commenting on Michael Chapman’s provocative and entertaining contribution.  Until this [...]

Lyndon Johnson forfeited a second presidential term because of his decision to escalate the Vietnam war.  I do hope that Barack Obama”s decision to send 30,000 more American troops to Afghanistan will not have a similar consequence. The strategy is founded on the belief that al-Qaeda needs Afghanistan as a base.  But does it?  Terrorist [...]

The following paper, written with Dr Kerry Brown Senior Fellow, Asia Programme, Chatham House, has been published as an Asia Programme Paper: ASP PP 2009/03 by the Royal Insitute of International Affairs: The views expressed in this document are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of Chatham House, [...]

“Some countries on the one hand want the renmimbi to appreciate, but on the other hand engage in brazen protectionism against China.  This is unfair.  Their measures are a restriction on China’s development.”  Why did Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, speaking at the end of the China-EU summit in Nanjing on 30 November, adopt such an [...]

“Do you know what it means for me to see for the first time in 50 years a French European commissioner in charge of the internal market, including financial services, including the City [of London]?” “I want the world to see the victory of the European model, which has nothing to do with the excesses [...]